Investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Special Investigations Unit (SIU) arrested a man on drug charges just hours after he reportedly fled a traffic stop in Gainesville.
Tuesday about 1:30 a.m., in the area of Athens Street and West Ridge Road, an HCSO patrol deputy conducted a traffic stop on an SUV that was displaying a license plate that belonged to another vehicle. The information the deputy obtained on the license plate indicated there was no valid insurance and a suspended registration. The driver initially stopped for the deputy but then fled from the traffic stop.
Later in the day, SIU investigators followed up on the case, located the address where the license plate was registered. At the residence on Ventura Drive, investigators found the vehicle and learned that it belonged to Carlos Alberto Rodriguez, 29, of Gainesville. Rodriguez was at the residence at the time investigators arrived. They determined he had two outstanding arrest warrants. They also detected an odor of marijuana in the residence, so they obtained a search warrant for the premises. During the search, investigators located illegal narcotics, drug paraphernalia and a weapon.
As a result, Rodriguez was arrested on the following charges:
· Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute (17 grams)
· Possession of THC oil (one vape)
· Possession with intent to distribute Adderall (40 pills)
· Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute (70 grams)
· Possession of sawed off shotgun (Glock 23 with machine gun conversion device)
The estimated street value of the illegal drugs is $2,500.
Investigators also arrested a second man who lived at the residence, 41-year-old Juan Melendez Noriega, after they located five (5) grams of methamphetamine in his bedroom. He was charged with possession of methamphetamine. He was released from custody on Oct. 8 after posting a bond of $11,200.
Rodriguez remains in the Hall County Jail with no bond.